Jake stands, offering me his hand.
“Walk you home?”
I take it, letting him pull me up. “Yeah.”
We say our final goodnights, and after another round of hugs and teasing, we start back along the moonlit beach. The moon hangs full and silver, painting a shimmering path across the water. Our footsteps sync without effort, the only sounds the gentle lap of waves and our breathing.
Halfway to the cottage, he stops, turning me gently to face him. Moonlight catches in his eyes, turning them almost gold.
“You were incredible tonight,” he says quietly. “You fit right in. They loved you.”
“They’re easy to love,” I reply. “Especially your sister. She’s protective of you.”
He nods. “She’s the best. Been looking out for me since we were kids.”
We start walking again, slower now. His fingers lace through mine, thumb stroking the back of my hand in slow sweeps.
“Grace,” he says after a while. “About tonight…”
My stomach tightens. “Yeah?”
“I don’t want you thinking this is just fun for me or casual. It’s not.”
The words hang between us, heavy and honest. I stop walking, turning to him fully.
“Jake, I?—”
He shakes his head gently. “I know what you said. Boundaries. August. I heard you. I’m not asking you to change your mind. I’m just telling you where I stand. You matter to me more than I expected, more than I probably should admit this soon.”
My throat feels tight. “I don’t know how to do this. Let someone in again. Not after…”
“I know.” He lifts our joined hands, presses a kiss to my knuckles. “I’m not pushing, but I’m also not pretending this isnothing. You feel it too. I see it in the way you look at me. The way you lean into my touch.”
I do feel it. Deep, terrifying, and thrilling all at once. The night presses close around us: the crash of waves, the cool sand under my feet, the warmth of his hand in mine.
“I’m scared,” I whisper.
He steps closer, free hand cupping my cheek. “Me too, honestly. I’d rather be scared with you than alone without you.”
The kiss that follows is slow, deep, full of everything we’re not saying. His arms wrap around me, pulling me flush against him. I melt into it, letting the fear and the want tangle together until they’re indistinguishable.
When we finally break apart, he rests his forehead against mine. “Let’s get you home.”
We walk the rest of the way in silence, hands linked, hearts loud in the quiet night.
At the cottage door, he kisses me again. The kiss is gentle this time, lingering. “Sleep well, Grace.”
“You too.”
He waits until I’m inside, until the lock clicks, before turning back toward the beach. I watch him through the window until he disappears into the dark, broad shoulders outlined by moonlight.
I lean against the door, heart still racing.
Tonight was supposed to be casual. A bonfire. A walk. Nothing more.
The way he looked at me, like I’m something rare and worth keeping, makes casual feel like a lie. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep believing it.
Inside the cottage, the air feels thick with anticipation. The lamp beside the couch casts warm amber light across the room, turning everything soft and golden. I kick off my sandals, toes curling against the cool wood floor, and wait.
